Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yojacqueline’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Yojacqueline’, characterized by its compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform and freely flowering habit; decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets; light lavender and lavender-colored ray florets; and natural season flowering about September 25 th  in the Northern Hemisphere.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Yojacqueline’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, commercially grown as a garden Chrysanthemum and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Yojacqueline’.

The objective of the breeding program is to create new garden-type Chrysanthemum cultivars having inflorescences with desirable inflorescence forms, attractive floret colors and good garden performance.

The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in February, 2003, in Salinas, Calif. of the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Gedi One Sav, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,928, as the female, or seed, parent with the Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar Yoursula, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,641, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Alva, Fla. in October, 2003.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative cuttings was first conducted in Alva, Fla. in December, 2003. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the cultivar Yojacqueline have not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Yojacqueline’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Yojacqueline’ as a new and distinct garden Chrysanthemum cultivar:

-   -   1. Compact, upright and outwardly spreading plant habit.     -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.     -   3. Uniform and freely flowering habit.     -   4. Decorative-type inflorescences with elongated oblong to         ligulate-shaped ray florets.     -   5. Light lavender and lavender-colored ray florets.     -   6. Natural season flowering about September 25^(th) in the         Northern Hemisphere.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the female parent, the cultivar Gedi One Sav, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were smaller than plants of         the cultivar Gedi One Sav.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered earlier than plants         of the cultivar Gedi One Sav when grown under natural season         conditions.     -   3. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were light         lavender and lavender in color whereas ray florets of plants of         the cultivar Gedi One Sav were greyed purple in color.     -   4. Ray florets of plants of the new Chrysanthemum retained color         longer than ray florets of plants of the cultivar Gedi One Sav.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla. plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the male parent, the cultivar Yoursula, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger than plants of         the cultivar Yoursula.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Yoursula.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had larger inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Yoursula.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Yoursula         differed in ray floret coloration as plants of the cultivar         Yoursula had light purple-colored ray florets.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can be compared to plants of the Chrysanthemum cultivar Debonair, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 5,324. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Alva, Fla., plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of the cultivar Debonair in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were larger and more mounded         than plants of the cultivar Debonair.     -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flowered more uniformly than         plants of the cultivar Debonair.     -   3. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum had smaller inflorescences         than plants of the cultivar Debonair.     -   4. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum and the cultivar Debonair         differed in ray floret coloration.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

The accompanying photographs illustrate the overall appearance of the new Chrysanthemum. These photographs show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photographs may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Chrysanthemum.

The photograph at the bottom of the sheet comprises a side perspective view of a typical flowering plant of ‘Yojacqueline’.

The photograph at the top of the sheet is a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Yojacqueline’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photographs and following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Pendleton, S.C. during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial garden Chrysanthemum production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures averaged 32° C. and night temperatures averaged 21° C. Plants were grown in 15-containers and exposed to long day/short night conditions for about three weeks, then exposed to natural season photoinductive conditions. Plants used in the photographs and for the description were about three months old. In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 1995 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar     Yojacqueline. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Gedi One Sav, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,928.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium cultivar             Yoursula, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No. 13,641. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About four days at temperatures of             about 21° C.         -   Time to produce a rooted young plant.—About ten to twelve             days at temperatures of about 21° C.         -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; white in color.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance.—Herbaceous decorative-type garden Chrysanthemum.             Stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly             mounded appearance to the plant. Freely branching habit,             about six lateral branches develop after removal of terminal             apex (pinching) each with numerous secondary laterals; dense             and full plant habit. Strong and vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 22 cm.         -   Plant width.—About 39 cm.         -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 22 cm. Diameter: About             1.3 cm. Internode length: About 1.9 cm. Strength: Strong.             Texture: Pubescent. Color: 146A.         -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About             3.1 cm. Width: About 2.6 cm. Apex: Acute to cuspidate. Base:             Obtuse. Margin: Palmately lobed, sinuses between lateral             lobes parallel to divergent. Texture, upper and lower             surfaces: Fine pubescence; veins prominent on lower surface.             Color: Developing foliage, upper and lower surfaces: 147A.             Fully expanded foliage, upper surface: 147A; venation, 147C.             Fully expanded foliage, lower surface: 147B; venation, 147C.             Petiole: Length: About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture,             upper and lower surfaces: Pubescent. Color, upper surface:             147A to 147B. Color, lower surface: 147B. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance.—Decorative-type inflorescence form with             elongated oblong to ligulate-shaped ray florets.             Inflorescences borne on terminals above foliage. Disk and             ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.             Inflorescences not fragrant.         -   Flowering response.—Early flowering habit; under natural             season conditions, plants flower about September 25^(th) in             the Northern Hemisphere. At other times of the year,             inflorescence initiation and development can be induced             under short day/long night conditions (at least 13.5 hours             of darkness).         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about four weeks in an outdoor nursery.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 35 to 36 inflorescences             develop per lateral branch.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 1.2 cm. Diameter: About             1 cm. Shape: Oblate. Color: 76C.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 3.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 1.4 cm. Receptacle diameter: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle             height: About 4 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Shape: Elongated-oblong to ligulate.             Orientation: Initially upright, then about 90° from vertical             or perpendicular to peduncle. Aspect: Initially incurved,             then mostly concave. Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 6 mm.             Apex: Emarginate to rounded. Base: Acute. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous, satiny.             Number of ray florets per inflorescence: About 160 arranged             in about 14 to 15 whorls. Color: When opening, upper             surface: Towards the apex, 75B; towards the base, 75C to             75D. When opening, lower surface: Towards the apex, 76C;             towards the base, 155D. Fully opened, upper surface: Towards             the apex, 77B; mid-section, 77C; towards the base, 77D. With             development, apices become closer to 78A in color. Fully             opened, lower surface: Towards the apex, 75B; towards the             base, 76D. With development, color becomes closer to 78A to             78C.         -   Disc florets.—None observed.         -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 40             arranged in about three whorls. Length: About 6 mm. Width:             About 3 mm. Shape: Elliptic. Apex: Acute. Base: Truncate.             Texture, upper surface: Smooth, waxy. Texture, lower             surface: Pubescent. Color, upper surface: Close to 144A.             Color, lower surface: Close to 146B.         -   Peduncles.—Length: About 5 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle:             About 50° to 70° from vertical. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to 147B.         -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: None observed. Gynoecium:             Pistil length: About 6 mm. Stigma shape: Bi-parted. Stigma             color: Close to 145D. Style length: About 3 mm. Style color:             Close to 145D. Ovary color: Close to 145B.         -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production has not been observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under     commercial conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have     demonstrated excellent garden performance and to tolerate     temperatures from about 0° C. to about 38° C. 

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Yojacqueline’ as illustrated and described. 